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Biography

Since the 2001 release of his critically acclaimed debut, Miles from the Lightning, Wisconsin native Jeffrey Foucault has built an independent career touring extensively in the United States, Canada, and the UK. His 2006 release, Ghost Repeater garnered praise from publications such as The New Yorker, No Depression, MOJO, The Chicago-Sun Times, and The Irish Times. Jeffrey's repertoire is ... Read more in Amazon's Jeffrey Foucault Store

Editorial Reviews

Across the American heartland, empty radio studios known as "ghost repeaters" beam nonstop inoffensive, middle-of-the-road pop ditties to semiconscious listeners. Thankfully, Wisconsin singersongwriter Jeffrey Foucault does not pander to this distressingly wide audience, but rather imcorporates the best of the Americana, alt-country and roots-rock genres into his third solo album. In December Jeffrey spent a week in Iowa City cutting the tracks for his third solo record, Ghost Repeater. Produced by and featuring Bo Ramsey (Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams) and his Iowa compadres, the album also includes special guest appearances by Dave Moore on harp and accordion, Eric Heywood (Son Volt, Richard Buckner, Alejandro Escovedo) on pedal steel, and Kris Delmhorst on backing vocals. Ghost Repeater features full band arrangements but hews close to the line of Jeffrey's previous albums with darkly intimate songs, framed this time by Ramsey's inimitable electric guitar in a series of country rockers and dark blues. Against the broadcast echoes of an America long gone, Foucault lays out the particulars of love in a country contending with its own ghost. In songs of love and empire, dream and memory, Ghost Repeater delivers the honesty of country, the rawboned desperation of blues, and the simplicity of folk to achieve a document that's timeless and poignant.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Jeffrey Foucault is new to me. His sound on this disc catches at my heart and ear from start to finish. With a mix of folk, blues and country music, these songs have a brooding theme of travel but the bigger theme is one this indepentant music listener resonates with. I learned that Ghost Repeaters are empty radio stations that play demographically profiled playlists to wide sections of America. Echoes of American market culture from thousands of miles away are invading our airways the way epidemic sameness, bigbox stores, and faux news cycles through every state. The songs on Ghost Repeater reveal a story of love and uncertainty. Foucault's words reflect the poles of "one part love and one part grief" (#6) capturing his recent marriage and his delight in that to the heartache he feels looking at our country. Treat yourself well and listen to these songs

Saw Jeffrey yesterday over here in Holland in a very intimate concert. For sure not more than 100 people.

I was there to see Slaid Cleaves who would also perform. Jeffrey was the opener of the evening. During his performance I really wondered how it is possible that one man and only a guitar can keep an audience, at least me, listen in astonishment.

A pity he only performed for a bit over half an hour. Afterwards I purchased the Ghost Repeater cd which he signed for me.

I gave it a five star rating. I played the cd today I don't know how many times and it really grows on you and gets better every time you listen to it.

My favourites :

Ghost repeater

Americans in corduroys

I Dream an old lover

One for sorrow

Train to Jackson

One part love

Wild waste and welter

City flower

Tall grass in old virginny

Mesa, Arizona

Appeline

Yes I know I just listed all the songs. That's because I can't choose. Listen for yourself.

I don't usually care to share my opinions, but I have to break my normal silence and rave about this musician. I'll agree with a previous reviewer that the album "Ghost Repeater" is a little more polished than his earlier two albums, and that it makes for a slightly weaker finished product. But this young musician is absolutely astonishing. His lyrics are beautiful and thought provoking, and his haunting music gets you in the ears and in the gut. I don't know what genre you'd consider his work -- Folk? Blues? Bluegrass? Americana? Country? Forget genres -- this album, and all of Jeffrey Foucault's previous works, are must-haves for anyone who enjoys truly American music.

i enjoy looking for that special album. you know... the one that you take to work and let friends oooww and aahhh over. if you're looking for just a fine, fine artist with an amazing voice and gripping lyrics, then look no further than mr. foucault. ghost repeater is another A++ album from an artist who's cd's seem to get lost in a car cd player for weeks upon weeks. a few more artists (from hundreds..maybe thousands of dollars of research in buying cd's) great for a drive are kelly joe phelps, hayward williams and martin sexton. take care and enjoy.

First let me state that I think Jeffrey Foucault is astonishingly gifted not only as a guitarist, but also as a singer/songwriter. That said his latest offering Ghost repeater is, well, erring a little too close to a more polished Nashville sound than I myself care for. The desperate spare arrangements of "Stripping Cane" and "Miles from the Lightning" are replaced with a much more 'country' set-up, fuller sound rounded out with a bigger range of musicians. Think "Devils and Dust" as opposed to "Nebraska". If you like country this is probably one of the best albums you'll buy this year because the writing is so strong, but I just can't help wandering what this album would sound like stripped back to the bare essentials. I think there's just a little too much pedal steel in the mix and the whole album sounds a lot more compressed and produced than previous albums. Just my opinion folks - would still reccomend to listeners - but with a cautionary note to prior fans of his more bluesy folk offerings.

This is an outstanding groups of songs. Foucault has really hit an apex in songwriting here. Truly impressive, emotional, poignant, from start to finish not one weak song. Foucault has a profound voice, and a compelling and gripping sense of time and place. A songwriter who combines, acoustic country, folk, blues and americana with powerful singing and imagery. An artist not to be overlooked!

Once again, with the exception of one song, JF takes us on a guided tour of 'traditional America'. The songs are slow to mid-tempo, with a few that 'rock a bit'. JF's lyrics are often ambiguous and enigmatic; I don't pretend to understand what some of them mean, but I still like them, 'edgy folk-poetry' - that's how I'd describe them. However, a few songs are simple stories with lyrics which are, by comparison, more straight forward. The melodies, especially on the slower tempo songs, are haunting and full of atmosphere. All songs are written by JF.

'Miles From The Lightning' and 'Stripping Cane' are albums of contemporary American folk and folk-blues music; even though electric guitars feature on some tracks, the 'hands-off' production and lack of conventional percussion bestow these albums with a strong acoustic ambience. By contrast, 'Ghost Repeater' is quite a lot different for a number of reasons : the production (Bo Ramsey), whilst still fairly sparse, is more polished; percussion, electric bass, lead electric guitar and keyboards lend greater texture and variety to the sound.; JF's smoothly weathered vocals have a sharper definition; and several tracks have a distinct country flavour - with some almost venturing into the realms of mainstream country-rock (albeit, a little gentler and with a 'rootsier' bias).

As usual, JF accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, but the playing is not as prominent as on earlier albums (which feature either Peter Mulvey or David Goodrich on acoustic lead) - although the lingering sounds of resonator and Weissenborn guitars (Bo Ramsey) can often be heard. Bo Ramsey also plays electric lead guitar; his tasteful 'less means more' phrasing reminds me of Mark Knopler's style - but with a slight bluesier edge.Read more ›